Kael's Point Of View
The night after the ceremony tasted like ash.
I stood alone at the edge of Ironfang territory, staring at the river that marked the border between my pack and Seraphina's. The moon reflected on the water, bright and accusing. Every breath scraped against my lungs like broken glass.
I had hurt her.
I had humiliated her.
And worst of all… it hadn't even been my choice.
The memory of that moment, standing before both packs, her gaze warm and hopeful, should have been the happiest moment of our lives. Instead, something had seized my mind, twisting it, forcing a coldness into my bones. Words I never meant to speak ripped out of me like claws.
I reject her.
I squeezed my eyes shut, jaw trembling.
A lie.
A curse.
A nightmare wearing my voice.
Footsteps approached from behind. Darius stopped beside me, silent at first, letting the wind fill the space between us. He always knew when not to speak.
"You're still here," he said finally, eyes narrowed with worry. "You didn't return to the lodge."
"I couldn't."
Darius crossed his arms. "Kael… you need to tell me what really happened today."
"I told you," I snapped, harsher than intended. "I don't know."
"But you didn't want to reject her."
"That's not the same thing."
He sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. "It is when your eyes turned silver during the ceremony. Kael… something was wrong with you."
My chest tightened. "I know."
"And you're pretending it wasn't."
"I'm not pretending," I muttered. "I'm trying to understand."
Darius studied me closely. "Look… Seraphina didn't deserve that. And you know it."
I swallowed hard. "I know."
"What are you going to do about it?"
I had no answer.
Before I could speak, a cold wind swept through the trees, carrying a scent I knew too well: old magic, sharp and bitter.
Darius stiffened. "She's here."
I turned slowly. Morrigan stepped out from the shadows, her black cloak dragging along the leaves. Her hair, raven-dark and streaked with silver, blew wildly around her face. Her eyes glowed faintly violet, a sign that she had been tampering with moon energy again.
"Brother," she purred, smile sharp as a blade. "You look troubled."
Darius tensed beside me, but Morrigan didn't spare him a glance. Her attention was on me alone.
"What do you want?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"To check on you." She tilted her head. "Our great future Alpha, so strong… yet shaking like a frightened pup."
"Enough," I snapped. "You know what happened today."
Her smile widened. "I do."
"You did something to me."
Darius stepped forward. "Morrigan, if you, "
She flicked her fingers lazily, silencing him without a word. Her magic brushed the air, cold, poisonous. Darius stumbled back but didn't fall.
My wolf bristled, teeth bared.
I took a step toward her. "Release whatever spell you put on me. Now."
Her laugh echoed through the forest. "Spell? Brother, you give me far too much credit."
"Morrigan, "
"Fine," she said, voice dropping to a whisper. "If you want truth, here it is: peace between Nightwind and Ironfang would have been a mistake. A disaster. You would have weakened our pack. You would have followed Seraphina like a lovesick fool."
My pulse roared in my ears. "You don't know anything about her."
"Oh, I know enough," she hissed. "She's strong. Too strong. She would have taken everything from us."
She stepped closer, eyes gleaming. "So I… helped."
"You controlled me."
"Not controlled," she corrected sharply. "Guided."
I felt the blood drain from my face. Darius' growl vibrated behind me.
"You ruined everything," I whispered.
"No, Kael." She pressed a finger against my chest. "I saved you."
I knocked her hand away. "Stay out of my mind."
Her smile returned, this time colder. "You think the bond between us is so easily broken? I am your sister. Our bloodline is tied to the moon. And the moon answers to me."
A chill crept down my spine.
Before I could react, she leaned in and whispered, "You will thank me someday."
"Never."
"Perhaps," she mused, stepping back. "But until then, focus on rebuilding your pride. Your pack is laughing behind your back."
She turned away, cloak swirling like smoke. Then she paused and looked at me over her shoulder.
"And Kael?"
"What?"
"Don't look for Seraphina." Her eyes hardened. "If you do, I won't protect you from what comes next."
She vanished into the trees, leaving a faint violet shimmer in her wake.
The forest exhaled, tension lifting just enough for me to breathe again.
Darius rushed to my side. "Kael, are you alright?"
"No."
"Then talk to me."
I stared at the river again, the moonlight now blurred by anger and shame. "She used moon sorcery, Darius. Ancient magic. The kind that takes control of the mind."
Darius cursed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I… I wasn't sure. I thought I was losing myself."
He grabbed my shoulder. "You're not losing yourself. Morrigan is dangerous. She always has been."
"She's still my sister."
"And that doesn't make her any less of a threat."
I looked at him, voice low. "I said things I can never take back."
"Then fix it," Darius said immediately.
"I don't even know where to start."
"Start by telling the truth. Start by facing her again."
Face Seraphina?
The thought alone sent a painful pulse through my chest. The image of her eyes, hurt, furious, proud, burned into my memory.
"I can't," I whispered.
"You can," he insisted. "You must."
I shook my head. "She hates me now."
"And do you blame her?"
My silence was enough.
Darius lowered his voice. "Kael… if Morrigan is using moon magic, she's doing it for a reason. Something bigger than stopping the alliance."
"What reason?"
He hesitated. "I don't know. But whatever it is… we're already in the middle of it."
My stomach twisted.
Morrigan's warning echoed in my thoughts.
Don't look for Seraphina.
Which meant Seraphina was in danger.
Or maybe… I was.
Either way, Morrigan wasn't finished.
And neither was the curse she'd placed on my life.
Darius stepped beside me again. "What now, Kael?"
I clenched my fists.
"I don't care what Morrigan wants," I said quietly. "I'll find the truth."
"And Seraphina?"
A beat of silence.
"She deserved better," I whispered.
"If fate gives me a chance to make it right… I'll take it." But deep down, I knew fate wasn't done with us.